This invention relates to an apparatus for testing skis and more particularly to an apparatus for matching skis which are bowed along their extent, such as downhill and cross-country skis, to the weight of a user and one ski of a pair to the other.
Skis are customarily matched by selecting a length of a ski to correspond to the height and approximate weight of the user together with the experience or agility of the user and the type of skiing expected to be encountered. In the case of jumping and various types of downhill skis, such a match is ordinarily sufficient to obtain the desired operating characteristic from the ski. In the case of cross-country skiing, individual skis are constructed of a high degree of camber or bow along their extent, and the weight of the user or the force applied to the ski in skiing significantly effects the operating characteristics of cross-country skis. Thus, in the selection of cross-country skis, it is particularly desirable to match the skis or the flexure of the same with the weight as well as the height of the skier for optimum ski performance. Such cross-country skis when manufactured do not always have the same degree of flexure or stiffness, and consequently, such skis are not necessarily matched to one another for optimum skiing performance.
In the use of cross-country skis, it is well recognized that the front and rear bottom areas of the ski will primarily be used for the gliding portion of the skiing stroke and, consequently, should have the lowest coefficient of friction for the surface over which the ski is traversing. The intermediate portion of the ski on the kick or power stroke conversely should have the highest coefficient of friction for optimum performance. Further, in the use of cross-country skis and in particular, during the glide portion of a skiing stroke, the intermediate area of the ski should be clear of the surface being traversed. In the kick portion or power portion of the stroke, the intermediate portion of the ski should be in contact with the surface being traversed. To obtain the desired frictional surfaces, the various areas of the ski are selected for the application of different waxes. In addition, different types of weather conditions, such as powder snow, wet snow, or hard track dictates the use of different types of wax to be applied to these portions of the ski for optimum ski performance. Similarly, the portions of the ski in contact with the surface during different portions of the skiing stroke will alter in length under such conditions. Thus, it is necessary to match cross-country skis to the weight and, hence, the force the skier will apply to the ski during skiing. Further, it is desirable to know from the flexure of the ski which areas of the ski surface will be in contact with the ground or surface being traversed at different portions of the skiing stroke. This will enable the user to mark on the surface of the skis the general location of contact areas so that different types of waxes may be readily applied thereto for the different skiing conditions.